


Stolen and Replaced

by TheDoctorIsIcecube



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Changelings, Fire Emblem: Fates Spoilers, M/M, Revelation Setting, Takumi and Leo-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-22 18:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8296357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorIsIcecube/pseuds/TheDoctorIsIcecube
Summary: Takumi was taken when he was two years old, and something was left in his place. Leo was taken when he was six. When they meet, something draws them together, unlike anything they've ever felt before, and together they start to uncover the truth behind their pasts.





	1. A Deal Is Made

“I beg of you, please, have mercy on my son, and I will give you anything you want!” Aleric was surprised at the sincerity of the woman before him. He recognised her; she was of the court, one of the favourites of King Garon due to her son seemingly being a prodigy. He knew of her, and he knew that this made her and her son a target for the others in the court.

That lead the woman to here. “I may yet do something to take him away from the dangers of the Nohrian court,” he said, and her thankful gasp was so genuine that he was almost moved by her plight. She really did care for her son.

“I would give my life if that is what you need!” She said. It was a chilling and entirely meant.

“We can take your son away and raise him safely, and leave a replacement with you so that no one will suspect a thing.” Aleric smiled, perhaps a little coldly, but the fae were known for being sinister. “And then we will collect our payment.” 

“I thank you,” she said, and he mused on how sad the state of the Nohrian court was that it should be reduced to this. Women bargaining their lives away to save their children. It was pitiful, it was a waste of life, but above all, it was entertaining. He would select a replacement this evening, one who could survive anything thrown at him. Wouldn’t it be quaint if the royal bloodline was once again mixed with the blood of pure magic? It had happened before- this was why so many royal children born throughout the generations had such strong magic within them. The blood of the fae was strong, stronger than that of any mere human child.

He left quickly from there. The contract of his word was as binding as any made by the fae, and he knew the woman, this mistress of the king, would expect her son to be safe by the end of the week. That meant he had three days to prepare a child to become the new Prince Leo of Nohr.

-

Aquilo knew from the moment he was roused by the sound of voices that this was it for his life away from humans. He knew of Aleric, he knew his trade, and he knew what his arrival signified. He wondered only how long he had before his world vanished, and why it had been left so late. He thought he had passed the age of danger, but apparently not.

Aquilo sat in bed, listening to his parents talking outside. He could only make out half of the conversation, but it didn't sound good. It sounded like they were going to...send him away? But why? He had known that this was what Aleric did for a living, and he knew he'd heard that voice in particular, but he hadn't really imagined that they'd just get rid of him. He was too old to be a replacement for a human, it was dangerous! The humans would notice, surely. They'd notice and they'd kill him. Changelings were never older than three, and he was six. He didn't want to die because of stupid humans.

He wasn't meant to grow up to take contracts like Aleric did. His parents stayed separate from humans as much as they could because they were dangerous. Their fear of magic was not great, but they exploited it for their own means. He didn't know much more than what he'd been told, but the humans seemed cold and dangerous and unfriendly. Life would be better here, he didn't want to go.

The talking stopped, and his mother quickly pushed the door open. "Aquilo, you're awake, aren't you? Come into the main room, there's a man here to talk to you." He looked up at her, and then slid out of bed and followed her through to the main room. He was still in his pyjamas, but hopefully Aleric wouldn't mind.

"Aquilo, yes?" Aleric asked, and his face held a smile. A cold smile, but the contractors were like that. They only thought of what they got on the other side of their deal. He wouldn't be thinking about how him or his parents felt about this.

"Are you going to give me to the humans?" Aquilo lifted himself up onto a sofa, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "Aren't I too big?"

"I'm sorry," his father said, and Aquilo knew the words that were coming so well that he could have recited them himself. "He is mostly unfeeling. I'm not sure he's suitable to be a changeling." The last part was new, and almost stung. He knew that people thought him unfeeling despite the fact that he obviously had feelings, but now he was inadequate?

"He's the one we need." Aleric bent close to him, the smile on his face twisting into something that was obviously trying to be sweet. "How do you fancy being a prince, Aquilo?"

"I favour my life the way it is, and the Nohrian court is full of strife," he said. He wasn't an idiot. The Nohrian court was dangerous and he'd seen who his double was. He had no wish to be part of that mess.

"Well, you're going to be a prince. Your parents have already agreed to it. You'll be going by the name Leo from now on...isn't that nice?" Aleric straightened back up, extending a hand that Aquilo didn't take. "Come on, kid."

"No," he said. He had the right to say no. He was as much a piece of value in this deal as anyone else was. As the item being traded, he should get a choice in this. It was only fair if he did.

He heard both of his parents sigh audibly behind him, and his father stepped forwards. "Aquilo, don't be like that. You'll have a great life. You can't say no, anyway... It's already been agreed. Just go with Aleric."

"No," he said again. He didn't want to go. He was six years old, his parents couldn't decide his fate for him. It was his life, not theirs, and he didn't want to throw it away in a dangerous environment like that.

"Aquilo, you're going, and that's final." His father's voice was firm now, stern, a bit scary. "Just go with Aleric, won't you?"

He bit his lip, afraid, but he managed to seize the courage to shake his head again. Words failed him, but he'd still refused. He wanted to say no. He would continue to say no, and magic meant that they wouldn't be able to take him away without his consent. He'd read about it.

"Aquilo, please don't do this..." His mother was getting involved as well, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently. "You have to go, it's for the best."

He was scared. He knew there were ways that his parents could force his agreement out of him, and this was the first way. Hopefully they were merciful enough not to move onto something that was more painful for him, because he was scared.

"Please, stop being so stubborn and just go. It really is for the best." His mother pulled away, going to stand beside Aleric and his father. "Come on. Please."

Would it be magic that they used? Or would their persuasion be more physical? Aquilo wondered for a moment if it even mattered, because if they got the consent then they wouldn't leave anything of the rebellious fae him in his head. He continued to stand his ground, keeping his arms stubbornly folded and glaring up at Aleric. He wouldn't go, not without a fight.

"Come on, child," he said, no small amount of menace creeping into his voice. It made Aquilo want to cry. It made him want to give in straight away because he was too afraid to withstand anything other than these fairly tame words.

"No," he said again, and there was a shakiness and a tremor in his voice that he hated. "I'm not going with you. I'm not."

"It will be okay," he said. "Magic in Nohrians is perfectly regular. You'd fit in just as well as the old Leo would. I've heard from your parents, and other than your personality, you match him perfectly."

"I don't care. I like my life here, I don't want to go and live with humans." They'd spot that he was different and they'd kill him. They just would. He was too old.

The pain came quickly, and he registered his mother's cry before he realised what had happened. His shoulder hurt, and in his surprise he'd bitten straight into his lip. Clearly they were going to use physical pain then. Aquilo felt his resolve wavering, tears springing to his eyes. He ran towards his mother, hoping that she would comfort him.

But she didn't. She stretched her hands out as if to catch him, to comfort him gently with her soft hands, but she kept him at a distance and her hands were cold. She wouldn't look at him. He just stopped, looking up at Aleric, glared at him. His shoulder still hurt so much, and there were watery tears in his eyes that ruined his icy glare.

"I'll do it, fine I'll do it," he whispered. He couldn't take the thought of any more pain. He wasn't used to it. He didn't know how to deal with pain or with people trying to get things out of him. He didn't know how, and now he'd just given his whole life away.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Aleric smiled at him again, reaching out to take hold of his arm. He was cold, too cold. "Say goodbye to your parents, Leo."

"I hate them," he said. "Can I have my books instead?" There were three books that he hadn't finished reading yet. He didn't want to leave them behind, forever unfinished. The idea brought a fresh wave of tears.

"Books? Oh, for goodness' sake, fine." Aleric marched him to his room, only letting go of his arm when the door was shut. "Take your books." The feeling of being watched didn't leave as he collected his books. "Your personality really is incompatible with your counterpart," Aleric said.

"I don't care," Aquilo said sulkily. He wasn't going to change for anyone, especially not some stupid human prince. Everyone in the Nohrian court could just deal with it.

He didn't know what the prince was like. He'd been seen a few times, but all of them besides Prince Xander were illegitimate and unrecognised as heirs so far. There was something about how Garon was waiting until there weren't as many of them.

Aquilo wasn't entirely sure what that meant- honestly, it was a bit or a worrying thought. Were the children expected to die young? Was he expected to die young? He knew that there was conflict within the court, but did that really mean that people were going to be killed? "Why am I replacing him? What happened?"

"His mother doesn't want him to be killed, so she asked us to send in a replacement. Your magic is strong, I'm sure you can handle fighting off some other human children if necessary." It seemed that Aleric really had made sure that he was safe. A younger fae child wouldn't have come into control of their magic yet, so maybe it was better this way.

Aquilo collected the last of his books, tucking them all under his arm and holding them close. He held his free arm out to Aleric again, determined to at least go with some pride and dignity if he really did have to go.


	2. Something Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo wakes up, just as he does every day. Something has happened, something is wrong, but he can't work out what it is.

Leo woke up, and for a good minute, everything felt completely out of place. He could barely remember anything- who he was, where he was, anything. He was on the verge of panic when something clicked in his head and he felt himself calm down, at least a little. His memories were here again, although they felt...odd. Not quite his own. That was certainly an interesting way to wake up. 

He looked around his room again. Yes, this was his room, he could remember it. Things still felt far away, so maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he was still asleep, and soon enough he would wake up properly. Leo swung his legs around and out of bed, feeling the familiar yet oddly so new feeling of the carpet against his bare feet. There wasn’t a single thing out of place in his room, and yet, in the strange cold dawn that Nohr always had, everything seemed just a little bit off. 

“Leo!” That was...someone was calling him. He didn’t know who it was, but he felt like he should recognise her voice. “Leo, come quickly!”

He rushed out of his room, heading towards the source of the voice. Even if he didn’t recognise it, he knew he would when he saw whoever it belonged to. It was just so maddeningly familiar, he just had to know who it was. 

“Leo, sweetie, are you okay?” It was Camilla, who caught him up in a tight hug that he wanted to resist but somehow couldn’t force his body to. “Last night must have been so scary for you…” He didn’t remember last night. He didn’t remember anything.

He just stared up at her, blinking. “What happened last night?” None of this made any sense to him. It was kind of scary, really…everything should make sense, but things didn’t add up quite right at all.

“Oh, Leo, don’t you remember, you poor thing!” Leo found himself being squeezed tighter. “It’s probably for the best, your poor mother…” But he didn’t care about his mother. The thought came to him so quickly it surprised him. Was he meant to care?

He looked blankly up at Camilla, who was starting to look a little concerned. “Leo, darling, I’m so sorry… Come on, come and have some breakfast. You haven’t got any lessons today, not after what’s happened, so you can spend the whole day with me if you need the comfort.” The thought made his skin crawl, but he nodded and looked down. He wasn’t in night clothing. Maybe he was still dreaming, because this really didn’t add up. He couldn’t remember things, he couldn’t make sense of anything, and his emotions didn’t add up.

Camilla led him down some corridors and into a hall, where there were two more people sat around a table. One older boy with curly blond hair, and one very young girl sat in a high chair. Xander...and Elise? His siblings? Yes…they were his siblings, along with Camilla. How had he forgotten that? 

“How do you feel today, Leo?” Xander asked. He didn’t know what to say. Something was stopping him from saying how he felt, what had been going through his mind since he woke up. Something important.

He just shook his head and took a seat at the table, reaching over to take an apple and bite into it. Xander looked faintly surprised, as did Camilla. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you voluntarily have fruit for breakfast,” the older prince said with a small laugh. He sounded older than he looked.

Leo blinked. He didn’t understand why he wouldn’t have fruit. It was healthy, and precious when- this didn’t make any sense at all. Why did he feel like this? Something was wrong. A memory drifted to the forefront of his mind, something about always having cereal and milk for breakfast. Honestly, that stuff didn’t look very appealing, much less so than the apple in his hand. So he just gave a small shrug, shrinking back in his chair a little and continuing to eat. 

“How is he?” Xander murmured to Camilla, who was partially absorbed in the difficult task of feeding Elise. A few other children were starting to gather at the other end of the table, looking in a slightly hostile way towards their end. Leo felt his grip tighten on a sword he hadn’t realised was hidden at his waist. He didn’t especially want to use a sword, not when his magic was so strong. He knew somehow that he could get rid of all the children who were glaring at him just with some shouted words and a wave of his hand, but the words he needed…they just wouldn’t come to mind. It was like they were locked away behind some sort of door that he didn’t have a key to. 

“Not good,” she said. He wondered if they thought he wasn’t listening. Maybe they thought he didn’t care that they were talking about him. “He’s been very quiet since I woke him up and I don’t think he remembers last night.”

“Maybe we should take him to the infirmary after breakfast,” Xander suggested. “There might be something wrong with him…I read once that seeing traumatic things can have an effect for years.”

Leo didn’t say anything, but he had a sudden feeling of dread when Xander mentioned there possibly being something wrong with him. He quickly glanced up at the other children in the room, who were looking over at their group. “They’re listening,” he said quietly.

“What?” Xander looked over at him, and then glared at the group of other children. They looked away hurriedly. Another memory drifted to mind- Xander was the eldest, the only legitimate child of Queen Katerina and the heir to the throne, so the others were scared of him. 

“May I be excused?” He asked. It felt right to ask if he could go, and he imagined that if he just left his siblings would be worried about him. “I don’t have lessons today so I want to read.” He knew, somehow, where the library was, and he wanted to go there.

“Are you sure you want to be on your own all day?” Camilla reached across the table to take Leo’s hand, and he pulled away from her. She looked concerned, still, but Leo didn’t care. He just wanted to be alone with his books. He wanted to figure out why everything felt so wrong. 

-

He felt better once he was on his own. By himself, there weren’t constant reminders of things he was confused about. He didn’t have to worry about events he had forgotten or names that were just out of reach. Here, he just had books and a warm place to sit on his own, hidden away from everything else. It was comforting, and he slowly started to feel more like himself. The longer he sat by himself, the more his memories seemed to be sorting themselves out, too. He was reading a history book, and the names of places and people were familiar- he’d learned about them in lessons, or visited them with his siblings or the mother whose face was still clouded from memory. 

He didn’t think he cared about his mother, and for some reason this didn’t bother him. Was she dead? That was what Camilla had seemed to say, that something bad had happened to his mother. Something he’d seen, yet he didn’t feel any grief and didn’t have any recollection of her face, let alone the event.

It was all very odd, to say the least. But even as he sat there, thoroughly absorbed in his books, Leo could feel things slowly clicking into place in his head. And that locked door, the one behind which lay the memories of six years of someone else’s life, that was getting buried more and more by the minute.


	3. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi had been ill since he was born.

The young prince Takumi had always been a sickly child. Even as early as the day of his birth, there had been problems. He was weak and small, a sad and sick child who didn’t seem to have much of a chance at survival. It was sad, really. His red hair always lay limp on his forehead, his blue eyes ever bright with a persisting fever that just didn’t seem to go away. From birth, his parents were told that he would be lucky to live to see six months.

At two, despite their best efforts, he had not been cured. He was loud despite his small, failing lungs, and he cried often. Through illness, he had been unable to focus properly to learn how to speak, and his legs were too weak to support him for more than a moment, if he could stand up at all. It was a sad state of affairs. His siblings never saw much of him for fear that his sicknesses- because there seemed to be many more than just one- might be contagious, so he was a lonely child. 

Aged two years and six months, things seemed suddenly to get a lot worse. Takumi wasn’t able to leave his bed, he never cried anymore, and that fiery red hair fell out in clumps. He was thin and weak, and the castle doctors said that he likely wouldn’t last the month. Queen Ikona prayed for the life of her son, promising any gods who were listening that she would gladly die if only he could live a long, happy life. She knew, after all these years, that it would likely be fruitless, but she prayed nonetheless.

And, when it seemed like Takumi was nearing his final moments and Ikona had fallen asleep, his tiny cold hands in hers, her prayers were answered. When she awoke, fearful that her son may have died and she was not there to see his spirit leave his body, she found that he had turned over in the night, pulling his hands away from hers.

The young prince seemed to be sleeping peacefully, his breathing for once even and not harsh and forced. When the queen picked him up, he was warm, but not feverishly so- a normal, healthy warmth, one that she had feared that she would never again feel when she held her son. 

She cried tears of pure happiness when she felt how much better he was already. Her son was truly blessed by the gods, and after all his suffering it seemed that he had finally earned himself a happy life. His sleeping was peaceful and even, and he didn’t wake up even as she cried, but she didn’t worry, because she could feel his breathing.

For the first time in days, she felt happy to let her son sleep alone, because no more harm would come to him. She could tend to her other children, she could tell Takumi’s older siblings that soon enough they would be able to play with their younger brother. And Takumi would be able to hold his baby sister, born only a month ago. He would live, Queen Ikona was sure of it, and he would live well.

When she left the bedroom where Takumi had been left, sleeping easily, Queen Ikona found herself wandering towards the bedroom shared between the current guests in the castle, a lady Mikoto, apparently a princess of a foreign power, and her four year old child, Corrin.

She wasn’t sure what possessed her to tell their guest first, instead of her husband or children, but she felt that it was important. She knocked on the door, and Mikoto answered soon enough, her little girl hiding behind her leg. “Queen Ikona? This is a pleasant surprise…what brings you here?” 

“I came from Takumi,” she said, and Corrin’s round face poked out. She had been playing with Hinoka a lot since she had arrived a year ago, mostly taking Takumi’s place as a younger sibling to play with, so she would have known the situation with the boy. “His fever broke overnight and it seems like he’s through the worst.”

Mikoto looked at the queen with a smile, selfless joy in her eyes. “I’m glad to hear it…it seems like the gods really have smiled on you. Did you give him a new medicine that caused the change? Or was it simply natural healing?” 

“We’d tried everything before now, I doubt it was that,” she said, unable to stop smiling at her good fortune, and Takumi’s. Maybe soon he would be well enough to start really living. “I think the gods must have answered my prayers for his happiness.”

“I’m very glad that they did. You deserve the good fortune after so much suffering.” Mikoto bowed her head respectfully, bending down to speak to her daughter. “Did you hear that, Corrin? Soon you’ll be able to play with Prince Takumi, too.” 

“Thank you,” she said, leaving Mikoto to talk to her daughter about what was going on as she went to go and find Sakura. Sakura had been born very healthy, and Ikona had been torn between nursing her newborn daughter and her dying son. Now that Takumi seemed to be finally getting better, she’d have more time to spend with her youngest daughter. The gods really were merciful- finally, her family could have some semblance of normalcy for the first time in two years.

Sakura’s room was light and quiet, kept with a warm breeze running through so it didn’t get too stuffy for her. It was so different to Takumi’s room, always full of an oppressive sense of sickness and death. She hated spending time in there, but Takumi had been unable to leave for weeks. Perhaps if he was going to be better now, they could redecorate his room. Takumi could help pick out the colours he wanted to paint the walls, and he could choose some new furniture and toys. He would be able to have proper fun for the first time in his life. 

Sakura was asleep, which was unsurprising. What was surprising, though, was that there was someone standing over the cot, and it wasn’t a servant at the castle. Only Reina was assigned to look after Sakura. “Who are you?” She asked warily.

“Who I am is of no consequence,” the stranger said. Their voice was odd- light and yet strangely serious, somewhere between male and female. “You only need to know what I want of you. You said you would trade your life for that of your son…we are merciful, so you may speak to each of your children one more time, and then you will come to us.” 

Ikona blinked and attempted to look away on instinct. If this was a god, she could not refuse. Even if this person was not a god, they were influential enough to get their way into the palace, and Sakura was defenceless. It wouldn’t be safe for her children if she refused. “If you truly did save my son’s life, then I am in your debt,” she said carefully. “May I ask how you expect me to come to you when I have spoken with my children?”

“You will come,” the person said. “If you do not, we will take something else in your place. Perhaps this little baby here?” They ran a finger along the edge of Sakura’s cot. “Or maybe the child of your husband’s beloved Mikoto?”

“No. I will come.” Ikona rushed to Sakura’s cot, standing protectively over her youngest child. “You don’t need to threaten me, please. You saved my son, I will do anything you ask of me. I just want to know how I am supposed to find you again, unless you intend to watch me with my children.” 

“You will know,” they said with a smile. “You will know.”


	4. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fast forward a few years and Leo and Takumi meet for the first time, properly at least.

The last few months had been nothing less than traumatic for Leo. He'd always harboured a little jealousy for Corrin, and for them to emerge from where they had been for as long as he could remember and suddenly get kidnapped by Hoshido before flouncing off with no more than a ragtag group of people who did not qualify as soldiers? That just plain stung. But, for some reason, he'd ended up here. Standing beside them in battle.

And it wasn't just him and Corrin, oh no. There were plenty of others, and not just Nohrians. Hoshidans too, fighting alongside them, not against them. For the first time in endless years, Nohr and Hoshido fought united under the same banner.

And that was how Leo found himself standing, facing someone he always knew would be pointing an arrow at him when they met. "Prince Takumi." Your reputation precedes you, he thought. No one else in the Hoshidan forces looked quite like the second Prince.

"Prince Leo." The Hoshidan inclined his head slightly, and that long, silver ponytail swung out to one side, just briefly. No one else in his family looked like that. And no one else in his family had that same strange feel to them, of magic hidden and locked away and inaccessible for now. It reminded him of something from long ago, and the feeling he always had when he was forced to spend time with either of Odin's friends. But this was much stronger. Something locked away, hidden, hidden for protection. He could feel that, but why?

"You're staring at me," the prince said, and Leo managed to pull his eyes away, still too late. He'd made a mistake.

"Apologies," he said curtly, thinking quickly to come up with an excuse. "I was merely wondering why you look so different to your siblings, Prince Takumi. Silver hair? It doesn't really seem to fit in, does it?"

"It fits with Corrin," Takumi said, a smug smile creeping onto his face. What an arse, Leo thought, even though his own improvised comment had made him seem just as much of one.

"Corrin isn't your biological sibling and you know it," Leo said sharply, lifting his chin to appear taller. He was already taller than Takumi, but he'd do anything to give him more of an advantage over the other prince.

Corrin chose that moment to come between them. "Boys, we're on the same side here!" They called. "Stop before you get too carried away." Leo just silently prodded Takumi with a little of his magic to see if the innate magic would react. It did react, but Takumi didn't seem to notice it. Leo, did, though, he felt the tingle of raw, unused power crackle in the air for just a moment before fading away safely under lock and key again.

Interesting. Leo wondered why it was hiding, and why he felt so...he felt a connection with it, one he really didn't want. He hated the idea of being connected to Hoshido in some way. Corrin's ties to Hoshido had caused them nothing but strife so far.

"You're staring at me again." Takumi narrowed his eyes, glaring at Leo. Corrin just sighed and walked off, obviously sensing a lost cause in trying to get the two of them to play nice.

"I apologise," he said, surprising himself. Maybe Takumi appealed to a part of him that his siblings told him was long locked away. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Well, you did offend me," the Hoshidan prince said with a huff. He turned as if to walk away, and then turned back. Leo wasn't sure why, and Takumi didn't seem to be all too sure, either.

"Please, Prince Takumi," he said, and that was so new Leo almost wanted to turn to the side and throw up due to the sickly pleasant demeanour he definitely hadn't picked up from Takumi. "May we start again?"

Takumi regarded him through still-narrowed eyes, and eventually, his gaze softened just a little. "Fine. We may start again, if you insist, Prince Leo."

Leo tried a smile. If his siblings had seen this, they'd probably check him for a temperature, or maybe they'd say he'd been replaced by one of the fae folk. "It's nice to meet you, Prince Takumi. I hope our ventures on the battlefield are successful."

"I suppose it's nice to meet you too, Prince Leo... I hope so as well." Takumi bowed his head slightly again- they seemed to be very keen on doing that in Hoshido. Leo just thought that it made his ponytail swing in a rather silly way. But he couldn't voice those thoughts, not now he was on his way to becoming something close to civil with the prince. He wanted this, for some reason, and even his general nature would not allow him to ruin it.

"I...hope to talk to you again soon," Leo said, because they were standing on the edge of a battlefield after a fight and at some point soon they probably needed to move. Takumi nodded, and took this as a cue to leave as quickly as he could. Leo sighed, looking around the field for someone he could be suitably prickly with so he stopped feeling like something was deeply wrong with him.

-

The next time Leo encountered Takumi was at dinner. He wasn't sitting with his siblings, and had instead chosen a part of the table occupied by no one else. Leo paused, and then sat down opposite him. "Hello again, Prince Takumi."

"Could you move one space to the right?" Takumi asked immediately. Leo looked down. The right was off the table and onto the floor. He looked up at Takumi again, and the prince grinned. "To my right. Hinata always sits opposite me."

"Oh. Okay, then..." Leo shifted his plate and cup a little way to the left, turning on the bench to sit diagonally so that he could properly talk to Takumi. "You know, I still want to know why you look so different to your siblings..."

"I don't really know," Takumi said. The answer was short and he didn't expand further. "My mother was the mother of Ryoma, Hinoka and Sakura, as was my father. I could say much the same about Camilla, but she did not have your mother."

"Alright, alright." Leo stiffened a little, not really appreciating his rather disjointed family being brought up. They might only be half-siblings, but they were the only people who cared for him.

"See? Trust me, people bring it up all the time. My parents aren't around to clarify my lineage at every turn." Takumi sounded slightly angry, and Leo understood it a little more now. The magic under Takumi's skin was fizzling. It didn't like Takumi's heritage being discussed.

"Hmm. Have you ever thought about using magic instead of your bow?" An abrupt change of subject, perhaps, but one that was much needed and might well end up satisfying his curiosity.

"I don't have any magic," Takumi laughed. "Both my sisters can, but I have no talent for it at all. My tutors always called it a lost cause to even try."

Leo raised an eyebrow. Apparently Takumi was completely unaware of the latent power inside of him that was just waiting to be used. "You have no magic...? Are you sure?"

"Entirely," he said. "The only magic I've ever come close to using is the Fujin Yumi, which I've been told is magical. It can't be, though."

"A bow that only you can use, and you think that it isn't magical?" Leo shook his head, letting out a long sigh. "Of course it's magical."

"Is your brother's sword magical?" Takumi asked. Takumi's retainers had arrived and been promptly ignored in favour of the conversation, which made Leo feel a surge of pride, almost. "How about Ryoma's?"

"Yes, to some degree." Leo shrugged. "Ancient weapons that respond only to one person... Tell me how you think that they couldn't be magical? Surely it's obvious that they are..."

"I always believed they responded to the decided heirs to the gods," Takumi said. He was surprisingly intelligent for someone who walked around in animal skins. "They're divine weapons, so only the gods can decide who they resonate with."

"Yes, and do you think the gods aren't magical?" Leo rolled his eyes, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. "Of course divine weapons are magic."

"I suppose so," he said. "But them being magical doesn't require me to have magic of my own. If they magically decree that I can use the weapon, I shouldn't need magic to use it."

"Hmm...I still think that you might have magic." Leo tried to drop a hint with his tone, hoping that Takumi would try and investigate this whole magic thing a little bit more.

The woman sitting opposite him snorted. "Forgive me my intrusion, Prince Leo, but Lord Takumi does not have a magical bone in his body. He can use magic about as much as I can use a bow."

"We'll see about that," was all Leo said before returning to the half-eaten bowl of stew in front of him. He hoped that Takumi's magic wouldn't stay hidden for long. There was something deeply fascinating about his magic. It was intoxicating, even, just the feeling of it. It bubbled and hissed. It was boiling; trapped and angry. Leo imagined that it would make Takumi glow with golden light, or perhaps crimson.

That was...kind of an attractive thought, really. Wait. Had he really just thought that? Leo ducked his head and concentrated intently on his stew, hoping that no one had somehow read his mind. He didn't have time for his personal curiosities or attractions. This was a war, and he was trying to use an equal as a pawn for his own amusement. He had to stop this before he went too far, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to and he was unsure that he even could.

Leo finished the rest of his stew as fast as he could, and hastily stood up from the table. "It's- ahem, it's been nice talking to you, Prince Takumi. I hope to speak to you again soon."


End file.
